Improvement in log-turners for saw-mills



` 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

L. P. GILBERT.

Log-Turners for Saw-Mills.

Patented Apri 14,1874.

. zufan l 6?'- l l/ UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LEVI P. GILBER'L'OF FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN.

- IMPROVEMENT IN LOG-TURNERS FOR SAW-MILLS.

`Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 149,649, dated April14, 1874; application filed March 2l, 1874.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI P. GILBERT, of Fort Atkinson, county ofJefferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Log-Turners for Saw-Mills;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsmaking part of this specication, in whichy Figure l is a verticallongitudinal section of my log-turner. The full black lines show theparts in position for a log or cant tobe passed up to the knees upon thelog-carriage, and the dotted lines show the parts in position ready tobegin the operation of turning the log or cant. Fig. 2 is a front-endelevation of the machine. Fig. 3, Plate 2, is a perspective view of themachine, the parts being in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.l.

The nature of my invention consists in a system of levers, cranks,windlass, and reversinggearing, as will be hereinafter described,wherebythe log or cant is turned as much as desired, and the devices whichturned it removed back out ofthe way for the passage of another log orcant over them, and then again are made to aid in forcing a new logagainst the knees as they are brought into position to be operated toturn the log or cant.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a frame, on which thelog-carriage B is constructed. O C are the knees of the carriage. D Dare two separated hangers, suspended from the side beams of the frame,so as to be below the top thereof. E E are two vibrating beams, hungbetween the hangers upon a pin, c. To the rear ends of these beams twolevers, F F', are pivoted. These levers are bent at the.point where theybegin to rise above the log-carriage, so as to form an angle at b; andfrom this angle upward they are furnished on Vtheir back edge withratchet-shaped teeth c; but in a full-sized machine those teeth will bemuch longer, and may be some inches apart. Thus constructed, the toothededges of the levers form an angle with the log which they are to turnwhen brought up to the same, as shown in the drawings. By this means thelog is turned without crowding but slightly against the knees. Theselevers are pivoted I is a windlass-shaft arranged below the crankshaft.rfhis shaft has a parting-collar, e, at its middle, and from the sidesof this collar chains J J lead, and connect with rings of doubled chainsK K. The chain K is connected to the ends of the two levers F F belowits fulcrum, and the chain K is connected to the said levers above itsfulcrum, at points a little below the angle of said levers, as shown. Lis an intermediate gear-shaft, with friction-pulley M on its end, whichstands loosely between two pulleys, N O, on the crank and windlassshafts. P is a shaft, with a friction-pulley on one of its ends and agrooved pulley on the other end. The grooved pulley of this shaft isgeared to a grooved pulley on the intermediate shaft L by a crossedbelt, Q. rDhese pulleys may be without grooves, and they maybetooth-geared. The friction-pulley occupies a place under the pulley O.The shafts L and P are free to rise and fall slightly at those ends onwhich the friction-pulleys are placed; and to these loose ends the shortends of angular hand-levers R S are fastened, respectively, asrepresented. On the end of the intermediate shaft L a handcrank isrepresented; but, in practice, this shaft will be geared with thedriving-power of the mill.

'Io operate the machine described, place the square block I, whichrepresents a log after it has been squared or made into a cant, on thetop of the frame and against the knees then place the right hand uponthe crank, and with the left hand push the lever It backward, so as tobring the pulley of shaft l? in gear with pulley of shaft I. Now, byturning the crank the chains will draw down the lower or rear ends ofthe levers F F', and cause their upper or forward ends to move from theposition shown in black lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in dottedlines in same figure. Now, by releasing lever It and pressing back uponlever S, so as to throw the shaft L in gear with crankshaft, andcontinuing to turn the crank, the

levers will be caused to alternately bite and move against the corner ofthe log, and, in so doing, will raise this corner of the log, and asfast as the corner of the log is raised by one lever the log isprevented from falling by the other lever' biting upon it and continuingthe turning movement of the log. The log being turned as much asdesired, the levers F F can be brought back out of the Way by pullingthe lever S forward, so as to cause shaft L to gear with windlass-shaft,and continuing to turn the crank. The latter adjustment reverses themotion of the windlass-shaft, and causes the chain to draw upon theupper ends of the levers, and thereby move them overV out of the way, ortothe position shown in full black lines in Fig. l, which is below thelog-carriage.

The operation of the machine is such that it will keep the log turningas long as wanted; and it will turn a log three feet and a half indiameter clear round in less than iive seconds, which is much quickerthan by ordinary approved modes.

The machine can be stopped at any point, and it will hold the 10g firmlyagainst the knees while it is being dogged 0r examined by the Sawyer,which is a very important thing to secure.

The arrangement for getting the levers out of the Way permits anotherlogto be rolled up near the carriage, in position for being rolled uponthe carriage by the contact of the levers. By this means the cant-hookand one man may be dispensed with. Thus a great saving in time and laboris effected.

It is evident that a greater number than two levers may be used, andalso that the friction-pulleys may be substituted by toothed gearingwithout chan ging the invention I have made.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The levers F F for turning logs or cants, constructed and operatedsubstantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination of the rocking beams E E', crank-shaft H, theWindlass-shaft I, inter-1 mediate shaft L, and the reversing-pulleys Ll? and levers S R, substantially as and for the e purpose Set forth.

LEVI P. GILBERT.

Witnesses:

HENRY OGDEN, A. E. BALnWrN.

